Viktor Navorski’s preference for Burger King aside, his passion for working hard for what he wants makes for a perfect Throwback Thursday.

The Terminal was a 2004 Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks collaboration that cleverly told the story of a man from a war-torn nation stranded in New York’s JFK terminal desperate to visit the United States. Bustling during the day and eerily lonely at night, the JFK terminal proved an opportunity and a prison for Viktor. He cannot leave the terminal and enter the United States because of his status as the man without a country. In what’s revealed as his charming character trait, Viktor befriends the blue-collar workers of the airport and evolves from a peculiar foreign nuisance into an inspirational tour de force.

No matter what your goals and dreams are for today and tomorrow, we should all embrace the spirited resolve of Viktor Navorski.

Only Steven Spielberg could’ve framed and transformed a mundane activity into an endearing exercise of the human spirit.

Happy Throwback Thursday!